Helping Hands
by NativeStar
Summary: After New Orleans Mac's hands are too injured for him to wash his own hair, so Jack steps in to help. A short and comforting ficlet. Inspired by a Tumblr prompt. Set after 2x14 Mardi Gras Beads Chair


For those that are interested the prompt was: "There is something so intimate about the caretaker washing the whumpee's hair. Maybe they're too weak to do it on their own - or too deep into a depressive episode. Or maybe their hands are seriously injured, making this simple everyday action impossible. The whumpee is sitting on the floor, with their back against the tub and the caretaker is slowly pouring warm water on their head." Posted by anguishmacgyver I'm new to Tumblr and posting as Nativestarwrites.

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It's not the first time Jack's done this for Mac. The kid was a bomb disposal technician for years, sometimes it seemed that Mac constantly had injuries to his hands. Most of them were so minor they were hardly worth mentioning but occasionally they were more serious burns and cuts. If it was just the one hand then Mac would stubbornly muddle through one handed without asking for help but the few times he managed to injure _both_ his hands then he was forced to accept help.

At least with Jack as his partner he never had to _ask_ for help.

"I need to wash my hair," Mac announces on their second day of enforced medical leave.

Jack's been hanging out at Mac's during the day since they both got injured. Riley has been his chauffeur and has been driving him over in the mornings and shuttling him back at night. They make an odd couple. Mac who can barely use his hands and Jack who hobbles around on his feet. Somehow it works. Riley made some temporary changes to Mac's laptop to make it easier to use for someone who only really has the use of his thumbs. It's still seriously slow to get anything done so Mac tends to give up on it by lunchtime and they spend the afternoons binge watching the netflix shows they've fallen behind on.

Bozer has been doing a great job taking over the cooking and planning meals that are easy for Mac to eat without help. Nothing that requires cutting or manipulating cutlery too much. He even found a set of cutlery with extra large handles that are perfect for someone wearing bandages for hands. And the beautiful thing about Bozer is that he does all this without making it seem intentional. They have soup because Riley had mentioned to him that she'd never had his squash soup with the secret spices. They have pizza because Bozer was really craving the stuffed crust pepperoni pizza from his favourite place. It has nothing to do with Mac's injury. It was Bozer's way of looking out for Mac that made Jack love him, even before he'd met the guy.

So after the sandwiches Bozer left them for lunch, Jack grabs a chair and takes it to the bathroom while Mac picks up a couple of towels. Surprisingly, its the first time he's had to do this since they were discharged from the army but they've still got the routine down. Mac grunts as he sits down and tilts his head back to rest on the rolled up towel Jack's put on the edge of the sink. Its not just Mac's hands that are causing him pain, he has some impressive bruising from the seat belt he was wearing when he drove the car into a building to save Jack's life. Jack's grateful to Mac, but he still hates the flinches on Mac's face every time the kid forgets and does something that jars his hands or presses on a bruise. Being able to do this small thing for Mac helps alleviate some of that guilt.

Jack works silently, pouring cups of warm water over Mac's hair before moving onto the shampoo. He forgoes his usual teasing of Mac's ridiculously expensive and fancy choice of shampoo. He'll never admit it, but he has been known to borrow it on occasion when he's stayed over. He gradually massages the shampoo into Mac's hair, working from his scalp to the tips.

He tells Mac to close his eyes, not because he doesn't want to accidentally spill soapy water in them like Mac thinks, but because he knows exactly how much this relaxes Mac. The warm water and the scalp massage work wonders. And Jack knows Mac hasn't gotten much sleep the last couple of nights. His hands and bruises are just too painful to allow him to get a full night's sleep.

So Jack takes his time. He has arguments lined up about how he's just being thorough and he wants to make sure he gets all the shampoo out but he doesn't have to use them. And that's what tells him more than anything how much Mac actually enjoys having someone else wash his hair like this as he never complains about how long it takes.

Afterwards, he gently towels Mac's hair and runs his fingers through it so it resembles something close to his normal hairstyle before leading him out of the bathroom and back into his bedroom.

"Why don't you take a nap, pal?" He suggests. "We'll wake you for dinner."

"Yeah." Mac agrees surprisingly quickly. Mac hasn't properly opened his eyes yet as he sits on the bed and shifts to lie down almost before Jack can get a dry towel over the pillow. Jack looks down at Mac with the sense of satisfaction of a job well done.

"Thanks, Jack." Mac says quietly before shifting on the bed and relaxing completely.

Jack smiles. "Anytime, kiddo."

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I don't know why this prompt jumped out at me this morning but it did, hopefully you enjoyed it too and I've not written them too out of character. Unbetaed, so please let me (gently) know of any errors or mistakes.


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